Garage construction



June 22 1926.

A. G. WHELLER GARAGE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 25, 1925 attorney till lf atented Jane 22 earner n err ALFRED Gr. WHELLEE, OF IDETRUIT, MICHIGAN.

GARAGE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed May 25, 1925.

This invention relates to building constructions and refers more particularly to a garage building.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved garage designed to eliminate collision hazard between vehicles entering and leaving the building'or between such vehicles when stored or operated within the building. A further feature of the invention resides in a garage construction affording a large storage capacity; also the provision of stalls or the like whereby the operators or drivers of the vehicles can readily park their cars or drive them from their parked position without requiring the as sistance of garageor other attendents.

A further object is to provide a garage capable of handling a large number of cars or vehicles .viihout relative interference or congestion.

With the above and other objects in View the invention provides for parking cars in such a fashion that the possibility of colli sion between cars entering or leaving the various parking spaces is avoided. In carrying out these objects I preferably provide a garage having a pair of concentric super imposed spiral passages or drive ways, one spiral adapted to accommodate traflic entering the garage and the other for leaving the same. Means is also provided for crossmg over on substantially level cross passages from the entrance s iral to the exit spiral or vice versa, at the points along the axis of the spirals where the entrance and exit spirals would cross each other if the spirals were projected on a vertical plane. A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means for parking cars on both the entrance and exit spirals throughout their length and if desired also at the points of the said cross passages.

Vl ith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and combination and arrangements of parts as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts,

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the garage with the walls thereof broken. away to show the arrangement of the con centric spiral passages and Figure 2 is a plan View illustrating one fielial li o, ilfflid.

manner of arrangement of the parking stalls for the vehicles. I

The construction preferably consists in providing a pair of concentrlc superimposed spirals indicated at A and B respectively, W

one of which is adapted to be used for traffic entering the garage, as the spiral B, and the other of which is adapted to be used for traffic leaving the garage as indicated at A.

The spiral floors A and B are at all points In the embodiment'of my invention as shown in Figure 1, C designates the point of entrance fromthe street to the garage by way of the spiral B. Tracing the path f a car entering at the point C the car would travel on the spiral B around the axis of the spiral which may coincide with the axial center of the building and when the car reaches the side of the building corresponding to the point of entrance C it will be travelling on the portion 10 of the spiral 35 B. Thus it will be noted that in travelling around the building on the spiral B the car has travelled above the floor 11 of the spiral A and in a manner so as to entirely avoid the latter spiral. The cars entering the building are therefore entirely independent of the cars leaving the building which travel along the spiral A which is likewise intermediate the portions of the spiral B. It is understood that the height of the garage is unlimited and therefore, the spirals A and B may be continued to any length desired.

A car being on either of the spirals A and B can pass to the other spiral as the case may be by reason of the substantially horizontally connecting cross-over passageways D which connect the spirals at the points along the axis of the spirals where the entrance and exit spirals would cross each other if spirals were projected on a vertical plane. One of these cross passages l) is preferably provided at each rise of each of the spirals A and B.

Referring to Fi re 2 I have illustrated a floor plan providing a plurality of stalls preferably twice the distance beor the like E preferably extending adjacent the outside of each of the spirals A and B and preferably throughout the entire length and-height of these spirals. I may also provide additional stalls E on the substantially horizontal cross-over passages D. I may further provide additional parking stalls E adjacent the stalls E, but on the spirals A and B. The various stalls are preferably arranged to provide an aisle of suitable dimensions whereby the cars may travel around the spirals A and B and across from one spiral to the other at a plurality of heights in the building as shown in Figure 2.

In the ordinary course of operation in parking cars in the garage, the cars will enter at the point C and continue to travel on the spiral B until the proper stall is reached. If the stall assigned to any particular car is on the spiral B the car will continue its travel around the spiral B until such stall. is reached when the car will be parked therein. Should the stall for any car he on the spiral A the car in entering will travel around the spiral B until the approximate height of the stall is reached when the car will cross over on the corresponding passage D to the spiral A and travel in the direction of the cars leaving the building on this spiral until such stall is reached, when the car will be parked therein. In leaving the garage any car which is parked on the spiral A will simply continue to travel downwardly of this spiral until the point of exit F is reached. Should any car e parked on the spiral B the operator W111 cross over to the spiral A at the nearest passage D and then continue in the same manner down the spiral A to the point of exit F as before.

It should be understood that various modifications of my invention may be, made such as changing the arrangement of the parking stalls and the like. If desired an elevator G may be provided and the space at the corners of the building as indicated at H may be used as wash rooms, storage rooms or for other purposes as desired, such as additional elevators.

It should be understood that the columns and other supports for the spirals A and B and the construction in general may be suitably arranged. Furthermore, it'will be apparent that instead of providing the entrance and exit passages O and F on different sides of the building these passages could be arranged on the same side of the building without departing from the spirit of the invention. I urthcrmore, instead of one set of spirals A and B additional sets of concentric spirals could be provided if desired.

While it is preferable to incline the spiral passageways A and ll uniformly throughout their length for convenience in building it should be understood that the spirals may have certain oftheir sides in horizontal planes connected ramps or the like with the other portions of the spiral formed in any manner desired.

For example instead of warping the spirals A and B uniformly throughout their widths, the outer portions including the parking stalls E may be brought into inclined planes extending longitudinally of the respective sides of the building.

It will be noted that my invention provides a garage building construction comprising a pair of separate and distinct parallel planes in the manner of a double concentric spiral, the inner edges connecting to substantially level planes about which the latter planes are formed, the level planes serving to connect one spiral with the other.

If desired, my garage construction may be used with various systems of trafiic operation. For example, instead of using spirals A and B separately for tra'lfic leaving and entering the building respectively,

the spirals might be used in common to vehicles entering and leaving. Thus the traffic entering the building might follow a path successively on spirals B and A by a continuous counterclockwise path around the group of stalls E and E shown to the left of the passage D in Figure 2. The traffic leaving the garage could then follow a clockwise path around the stalls E and E shown to the right of Figure 2. The passagesD would thus' be utilized at each level by the traflic entering and leaving the building. If desired, either or both of the groups of stalls E and E may be omitted. Further courses of trafiic paths may be used as found convenient.

By the term stall as referred to in the specification and claims, I preferably mean. any parking space indicating means such as floor markings, curbs, etc.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description, the nature and advantage of my invention will be readily understood, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of the claims.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:-

1. A garage building having walls arranged rectangularly comprising a plurality of helical floors within the building, one floor constituting an entrance spiral and the other floor constituting an exit spiral, the convolutions of one spiral interposed between those of the other spiral, said spirals continuously sloping substantially throughout their lengths and being formed with driveways substantially throughout their length to respectively and separately aclOH comniodate travelling of vehicles entering and leaving the garage, a plurality of substantially level cross passages providing cross driveways permitting travel of the vehicles in a substantially horizontal direc- 2. A garage building comprising a rality of helical floors, the convolutions of one spiral interposed between those of the other spiral, said spirals continuously sloping substantially throughout their lengths,

and a plurality of horizontal cross Pets 1 sages connecting the separate spirals.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALFRED G. WHELLER.

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